OHSHC: A Picture Says A Thousand Words
by Hiruka
Summary: SEQUEL TO OHSHC:LYRICAL BEAUTY Kayume Yumi always does her best to please those around her.Though after school starts,she begins to feel the club slipping away,Kaoru hiding things,and someone watching her.Can she stay in a place where she doesn't belong?
1. Chapter 1

So i decided that i wasn't so satisfied with what i wrote before, so i'm changing it up a bit. Hope you all like it. And so, without further adieu, The sequel to Lyrical Beauty: A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words!

_Okay, let's try this…almost there…focus…You can do this, Yumi…Perfect!_ With a quick press of the button, the picture was taken.

Chapter 1: Back to School, Back to the Host Club, Back to Mysteries.

"Alright!" Yumi shouted victoriously, "Now let's see how it looks." After pressing another button, she saw the picture of a bouquet of flowers. With the proper lighting and arrangement that she made, the different colors shone brightly in the morning light and the different types of flowers seemed to make the picture complete.

"Oh man," Yumi shouted, smacking her hand against her head, "how could I forget the card?" With a pout, Yumi picked up the small card on the coffee table by the flowers. On it she read aloud, "'To: our darling Junior. May you continue to dazzle everyone with your personality and style on your first day of school. Love, Mom and Dad'." She sighed as she placed it carefully in front of the flowers, adjusting them once more before focusing her camera and clicking the button. A gentle chime filled the room, causing her to look at her watch. "Time to go." Yumi headed towards the front door, placed on her shoes, packed up her camera gear, and looked in the mirror on the wall. She had on her navy knee-length skirt and her white, short sleeved blouse. On the blouse was her school crest that rested on the upper left part of her chest. Her long black hair fell across her shoulders while her equally dark eyes sparkled in the sunlight peering in through the room. With a satisfying nod, she reached over to the coat hanger by the mirror and placed on her navy sweater with the matching crest.

"Now I need the tie." Yumi dug her hand into her school bag and pulled out her navy tie and tied it in place. "Perfect. Now off to school!" With her confident smile on her face, she left her house and walked on over to her school. The small entranceway was filled with high school students (mostly freshmen who didn't know their way) in similar uniforms running to greet each other. As she drew closer, she noticed everyone looking up at her with amazed smile on their faces.

"It's Kayume-sama!"

"She's so elegant."

"This will be the year that I'll date her."

"No way! That'll be me!"

Yumi held her smile on her face and took a deep breath. _Little do they know that I'm actually taken. But it's none of their business about who I date_, she thought to herself. As the whispering continued to surround her, Yumi found her classroom along with her desk, which was covered in many gifts. Her fellow classmates greeted her with bows and said "Good morning" to her. She did her best to answer each of them, but felt that there were a few kids she missed.

_What am I gonna do with all of these presents? _

"Looks like I've got Kayume-san in my class," said a voice that appeared to be disturbed by her presents. Yumi bit her lips together as she looked up into the dark eyes of her teacher.

"Good morning, Kotoru-sensei," she said in her sweet voice, "I'm sorry about this. I came into the classroom and there were these gifts on my desk." Her teacher glared down at her and pointed to the trashcan.

"Throw those things away so we can get this class started." He turned around and headed back to his desk. Yumi looked into the eyes of her fellow classmates and gave them all an apologetic smile. _That jerk. Why does he have to be my teacher? Just because of that one time he's hated me since._ Once she threw away all of her little presents left to her by her fans, her long day of classes began.

[After school…]

Yumi quickly began to pack her things, making sure she had all of the books she needed and that her camera gear was in place. _Since it's the first opening of the year, pictures must be taken._ As she took her leave, many kids had blocked her path, giving her new gifts and saying how they hated her new homeroom teacher. As usual, Yumi rises above the situation and does her best to accept the many gifts. Eventually, though, it reached the point when she couldn't accept more and asked the other people to hold onto them for her. Of course, they agreed and left her alone.

_How am I gonna carry this with me over to the club?_ She thought as she slowly guided herself towards her destination. Eventually, her walk slowed down to as she began to notice a large school up ahead. Even over the mountain of sweets she could see the golden gates and green hedges that surrounded the area, trying to keep people like her away. She chuckled to herself as she remembered someone telling her a secret about sneaking in to such a school.

_Just enter through the gate that brings you to the garden maze. Then just take every left that you can take until you reach a mahogany door. It leads you to the south wing library that nobody uses. Then just head up to the top floor and at the end of northern hallway, there's a room labeled "Third Music Room" and that's where we'll be. _

Yumi followed the instructions that she memorized and quickly headed towards her destination. As she passed by large windows inside the south wing, white doves flew by, grabbing her attention away from her direction to the outside world. She felt her breath leave her lungs in beauty as she stared out, beginning to be lost in thought. Before she could get far, she heard little squeals behind her.

"Better get a move on," Yumi whispered as she headed towards a room labeled "The Third Music Room". Without hesitation, she opened the door, allowing the rose petals to brush against her cheeks as the smell of roses filled her nose. Before her stood eight people, two on the couch and rest behind them. The two were people with brown hair and brown eyes sat together with their arms leaning against the arms of the couch and their legs crossed over another. One of them had a short, clean-cut hair while the other had long hair tied up into a pony-tail. Behind the two boys on the couch were twin guys with auburn hair and hazel eyes that shone like gold. They were leaning on the top of the couch, mirroring one another. Then there was (starting from the left) a tall guy with a blank expression, a guy with glasses, a blonde haired guy, and a little boy that was holding onto a bunny in his arms along with hanging on top of the couch.

"Welcome," they said together. A grin spread across Yumi's face. The twin boy behind the long haired guy removed his charming smile and began to sulk.

"Oh, it's just Yumi," he said with disappointment. Yumi shrugged her shoulders.

"Sorry that I'm not your guests." The other twin straightened himself up and began to walk towards her.

"You know, Hikaru, just because she's not our regular guests, doesn't mean that she's not important." Yumi noticed that as he spoke, his golden eyes were focused on her; his childish smile catching her attention. "She's my precious princess and I won't tolerate anyone insulting her." Yumi's heart beat began to beat faster as she felt her face turn red.

"Oh, stop that, Kaoru!" she shouted, placing one of her hands in front of her to stop Kaoru from doing anything, "You're making me blush!" Suddenly, she felt the chocolates that she was carrying slip from her other hand, falling to the floor with a clatter. The blush in her cheeks disappeared with a sigh.

"Didn't mean to do that," she muttered.

"Whoa!" said the little boy, "Those were a lot of chocolates. Mimi-chan, why do you have this much?"

"People at school gave them to me, Honey-kun. It's something they do a lot." Honey's light brown eyes began to glow.

"That must be super nice. Do you eat it all?" Yumi giggled as she waved her hands at the gifts.

"Nope. I normally just give them away. If you want them, go right ahead." Honey shouted with joy and dove into the boxes of sweets.

"You normally receive large amounts of gifts?" asked a cool voice, "Any particular reason for that, Yumi?"

"Not really, Kyouya-kun. They see me as an idol, though I don't really know why. I'm just a regular girl."

"You're a modest one, aren't you," Kaoru commented. She felt his fingers lace through hers as they pulled her towards him.

"Believe me, you're anything but a regular girl." Yumi slowly looked into his eyes and began to stare until a sudden coughing interrupted.

"Although you two are pleased to spend another school year together, could you please continue this moment elsewhere?"

"Kyouya-kun, can't you let us have our own fun?" Yumi asked. She wrapped herself around Kaoru and hugged him tightly, witnessing Kyouya rolling his eyes with disapproval. "Besides, you and Tamaki-kun have graduated, right? So why are you still here?" The tall blonde boy dramatically began to spin his way around the couch and stood in the center.

"My dear, Yumi-chan," he began, "Though half of us are gone forever, half of us remain. And it is because this that we return here, for we will not leave until our daughter graduates with flying colors!" Yumi's eyes soon fell upon the long-haired host. He seemed to have an annoyed look on his face as his fingers pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Are we really starting this again, Tamaki-senpai?" he asked in a very feminine tone. Tamaki turned to face him, looking insulted.

"But Hikari, you're the daughter of Haruhi and me." Hikari looked over at her fellow host who just shook his head.

"Leave him," he said also in a feminine tone, "Senpai's just eager to get the school year starting again."

"Well, if you ask me, it seems that Senpai just wants to live his high school life all over again. How can you live with him calling you his wife, Haruhi?"

"The same way that you can handle Hikaru calling you his little toy." Hikari made a face as Hikaru's lips curled into an evil grin.

"That's true. If Yumi's Kaoru's precious girl, then you're my precious toy." Hikari's cheeks grew a little red, causing Yumi to giggle.

"Where's Mina-chan and Hana-chan?" She asked, hoping to save Hikari and Haruhi from their boyfriend madness. Honey paused from eating his chocolates and turned to Yumi.

"Hana-chan and Nana-chan are in the back. Tasha-chan's there too. Right, Takashi?" The expressionless guy nodded as Yumi smiled.

"Thanks Honey-kun. Mori-kun." She then looked at Kaoru and kissed his cheek. "I'll head on over in the back and see you when you're done."

"Alright," he said with his sweet smile. Yumi quickly headed towards the back room, hearing little squeals as she closed the doors behind her.

"Yumi-chan!" shouted a childish voice. A little girl with wavy brown hair skipped towards her, holding onto a yellow bunny rabbit that was identical to Honey's. She wore a yellow summer dress with white frills on the edges and little black Mary-Jane's on her tiny feet. White tights wrapped around her feet as her big blue eyes shown with excitement.

"Hello, Hana-chan," Yumi replied, "You look like you've grown a bit." Hana-chan shook her head.

"No I didn't. I just look a little older because I'm nineteen now!" Yumi forced out a laugh as she thought, _Nineteen? And she still looks like an elementary school girl._

"Was today your first day of school?" asked a sweet familiar voice. Yumi looked at a table, seeing a girl her age with long blonde hair and a black headband resting atop of her head.

"It was, actually."

"Was it good?" Yumi shrugged and nodded.

"Pretty good overall, especially since I'm here now." The girl's milk chocolate eyes began to glow with her smile.

"I'm glad to hear it."

"What about you, Mina-chan?" Yumi asked, "How is it being a junior with a sophomore college boyfriend?" Mina's face began to glow red.

"Picking on your friends about their love life will just come back to bite you in the butt." Yumi began to laugh at the new, yet familiar voice.

"But I don't care if people talk about my love life because Kaoru and I are too busy crushing on one another to care." She turned her head to face a tall blonde woman with honey-brown eyes. "But you always tease Hikari about Hikaru, right Natasha?" Natasha rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Sometimes I marvel about how freely you speak about things."

"But that's what makes Yumi-san so special," Mina pointed out, "Also planning cosplays for the Host Club is something she's really good at."

"Exactly, Mina-chan!" Yumi shouted, "And that actually brings me to an idea I had today at school…"

[Towards closing time…]

Yumi slowly opened the back door and peered into the Host's room. It was flooded with girls in their yellow dresses while the hosts did their best to charm them. Most of the times, her eyes would fall on Kaoru, smiling at the way he'd act all vulnerable only to be whisked away by his elder twin. But sometimes her eyes would fall on Hikari, the second disguised host to join the club. _I'm really glad that she found this club,_ she kept on thinking as her eyes wandered from club member to member, especially on Haruhi. _I wasn't there when Hikari needed me most, so I'm happy that Haruhi can look out for her in my place._ Yumi felt a slight ping in her stomach as if disturbed by the thought of being replaced, but she accepted it because of her betrayal last year. _I promised myself to never doubt anyone here again. Haruhi taught me that._

Yumi continued to watch through the door as the club came to a close. As if on cue, Yumi burst through the doors with her arms wide open. "Well done, guys! Another successful day with the ladies." She noticed how Tamaki's jaw fell as he pointed a finger at her.

"BROTHER! SHE'S COPYING ME AGAIN!" Kyouya didn't bother responding. Instead he adjusted his glasses, pulled out his notebook, and began to jot down some things.

"Indeed it was a success, though I see that we're low on our budget."

"Again?" the twins said together.

"Yes. I believe that our graduation farewell party last academic year is the cause of this decline." Everyone began to glare at Tamaki, who freaked out and crouched down in his corner, tracing circles over the tile.

"However, I have an idea that'll bring up our budget." Yumi watched as his black eyes fall upon Hikari. She took down her hair and shook her head, allowing her long brown hair to fall freely against her back.

"No way, Kyouya-senpai. I've already told you that I'm not selling my stories."

"Then how do you suggest that we raise money for our club?"

"Don't look at me. You have so many things going on here that I don't even know about." Kyouya shook his head and continued to write in his notebook.

"Either way, we should think of something to help bring the budget up." Everyone fell silent as they were lost in thought. Yumi, however, had been thinking of something since Kyouya mentioned the budget, but was distracted by the sound of clapping hands.

"Well that's something for everyone to think about tomorrow then," Natasha announced, "But for now Hikari and I better head on home. Haruhi, need a lift?"

"No thanks. Senpai's gonna take me home tonight. Dad says he has to since we're officially together." Tamaki suddenly straightened himself out and hugged Haruhi from behind.

"Precisely. Since we are now a couple, I must look after you and protect you from those who might steal you away from me." Haruhi rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Don't give us that face," Yumi said, "You can't fool us anymore."

"That's right," Kaoru added, "You admitted that you love him."

"So that means," Hikaru concluded, "That no matter how many mean and sarcastic you get, we know it's not true." Haruhi looked away from them, placing an annoyed look on her face, but Yumi could see her cheeks turning pink.

"Fine then," Kyouya replied, slamming his notebook shut, "Let's have everyone try to think of something and have it ready by tomorrow. Sound fair?" Everyone nodded and began to disperse. Yumi was about to head towards the back room to get her things, but her eyes wandered on over to Kyouya, who was grabbing Natasha's hand.

"And I was wondering if you're free tomorrow night for dinner after the club ends." Natasha though for a moment.

"Sure. Hikaru can take Hikari home. Any reason why so late at night?" Kyouya leaned in close to her ear and whispered something. By the look on Natasha's face, Yumi guessed that Kyouya had either said or requested something dirty. _Trying to keep his cool, huh?_ Natasha's face turned completely red as she gently shoved Kyouya away from her with a nod. _Maybe I should go… _Yumi took three more steps backwards when someone suddenly stood in her way.

"Seeing that Hikaru will probably be busy tomorrow, would you be so kind as to allow me to accompany you home then?" Yumi jumped a little from the sudden sound of Kaoru's voice, but eagerly, she replied,

"Sure thing! I'd love to have you over."

"Glad to hear it." Without hesitating, Kaoru stepped in front of Yumi, wrapping his arm around her waist while cupping her cheek with the other. He gently pressed his lips against hers. "It's a date."

"Hey, Kaoru!" Hikaru screamed, "Get a room or let's go!" Kaoru rolled his eyes and winked at Yumi.

"My annoying other self is calling."

"It can't be helped," Yumi replied, "I'll see you tomorrow then." The two quickly kissed again as Kaoru left the room with his brother, leaving Yumi alone to grab her things.

The next school day was similar to the first, except for the fact that there were more fan gifts on her desk than ever before. As usual, students that entered the classroom would greet her kindly with a bow and a "Good morning, Kayume-sama". Yumi would do her best to respond to each of them, but doing that while figuring out a way to hide the gifts was a challenge. Unfortunately, when the door slid open, Yumi could feel the atmosphere changing.

"More presents on your desk, I see," said the cold voice of Kotoru-sensei.

"Indeed there are," Yumi said with a smile, "I'm having trouble trying to get them off and out of everyone's way." Kotoru-sensei just stared down at her, which caused Yumi to shudder.

"And why all these kids admire you I'll never know, but understand that you're no different than anyone in this class."

"Believe me, sir, I understand that perfectly well." Kotoru-sensei gave Yumi one final glare before heading towards the front of the classroom, announcing that if anyone in his class gave Yumi more presents, then there were to be server consequences. _This teacher has major issues_, Yumi thought, _They're only gifts. They're not lethal weapons or anything._ Today seemed longer to Yumi since Kotoru-sensei would always call on her to answer his questions. Yumi knew the answers, but it was the fact that she wasn't specific enough that allowed him to pick on her.

"I mean, is that really a way to start the year off?" Yumi asked Kaoru once she filled him in about her day, "I swear it's like he's out to get me…And it's been only two days."

"That does sound rough," Kaoru admitted, "But the source of his anger seems to be from all these gifts you're getting." Yumi leaned against his shoulder and sighed.

"Is it really necessary for him to pick on me about the gifts, though?" Yumi replied, "It's only from fans and guys that wanna date me." The color in Kaoru's face began to fade, causing Yumi to lift her head and grabbed his hands, squeezing them tightly. "I'm not interested in any of them, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, I do. It's just…I've got a bad feeling about this teacher." Yumi rolled her eyes and sighed, wrapping her arms around him.

"I know what you mean." Before Kaoru could respond, someone called her name.

"Yumi-san?" Yumi and Kaoru looked up to see Mina with her arms behind her back. "Do you have any ideas for the club to get more money?"

"Actually, I do," she answered, feeling her annoyance being replaced with excitement. Mina smiled at her.

"Great. Can we hear it?"

"We?" As if on cue, Mori-senpai walked towards Mina with both hands in his pockets as Mina's smile changed into her "shy-Mori-senpai" smile. "Any luck, Takashi-kun?" she asked. Mori shook his head. "I thought so. But Yumi-san said that she has an idea for the club." Mori's eyes fell upon Yumi, as if telling her she has the privilege to share her idea.

"Well," Yumi said with full confidence, "I was thinking that we could have something like a spring fair."

"Spring fair?" Mina repeated, "What would we have there?"

"Different types of stands, like a refreshment stand with lots of treats that you could make and put a price on. Another one would be…I dunno…a clothing line from Hikaru and Kaoru's mother."

"We could actually do that bit," Kaoru second.

"Yeah?" Kaoru nodded. "Well for a big finale, I was thinking of a show for the guests. Of course the hosts can determine whether they want to be in the show or not, so there won't be any pressure to participate if someone doesn't want to. Oh, and the girls would have to buy their own tickets for the show and Renge-chan can write the script." Mina smiled her sweet smile.

"This is all sounding very good."

Suddenly, the ground began to shake as the room filled with a familiar laughter. "~OHOHOHOHOHO~ Yumi-chan, I must say, you do come up with brilliant ideas." The floor began to split open and a girl in the Ouran uniform began to rise on a spinning platform. Once the spinning stopped, she winked at the four.

"I'll create the perfect program for the ladies, especially since they're Moe fans like myself."

"Would there be anything else you would want to put in the show?" Mina asked.

"Maybe Honey-kun and Mori-kun could perform some martial arts for the guests in the show!" Hana-chan suggested.

"Where did you come from?" Yumi asked, blinking in confusion.

"I was wandering around the room to think of ideas. It's how I get the brain juices working."

"It's true," Mina admitted, "But I do love your spring fair idea."

"Why are you collecting them, Mina-chan?" Kaoru asked.

"Because Kyouya-san and Tamaki-san are finishing up a class that they have at Tokyo U. And since Natasha's busy with her auditions, Kyouya-san asked me to keep the club organized until he gets here."

"That's great, Mina-chan," Yumi replied. "By the way, where's everyone else?"

"Hikaru and Hikari are still trying to find inspiration in the library," Kaoru answered rolling his eyes, "but I don't think they're gonna find anything." Yumi gently pushed him and laughed.

"Oh let them have their fun. And Haruhi?"

"Haru-chan is finishing her school work in another library," Honey answered as he entered the room in his Ouran uniform, "I also saw Kyo-chan and Tama-chan on my way here, so have your ideas ready!"

"I think Yumi-san's the best one," Mina commented, "With a spring fair, the hosts can do whatever they want on their side of the room." She looked up at Mori-senpai for approval.

"Ah," he replied with a smile. Renge clapped her hands together and struck a pose, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Then I shall prepare the perfect program for the show along with a script of the perfect love story~" The platform began to spin again and Renge descended into the ground again.

"I know I shouldn't ask, but how does this room have a spinning platform that happens to open and appear everywhere?" Everyone shrugged their shoulders just as the rest of the host club arrived, stirring with different ideas about how to raise money for the club. The club was closed for business today, which was a relief for Yumi. She wasn't in the mood for sitting in the backroom and watching other people have fun.

"I don't think that we should launch a special event just to raise money," Hikari said when Kyouya asked for her opinion, "I'm still trying to get over the fact that we take money from these girls."

"Bzz bzz!" The twins said in unison, "Wrong answer. Try again." Hikari began to pout and rested her head in her hand.

"I think Hikari's right," Haruhi second, "Besides, we always have that big dance, so we should probably try to save up for that. Trying to throw a special event is wasting money." Yumi watched Tamaki nodding and agreeing, amused by Haruhi's explanation.

"I agree with you, my wife." He replied after she finished, "Then I second the proposal that we shall follow the commoner's way and learn how to save up our money without spending!"

"It is the most reasonable answer," Natasha replied, "Maybe cutting back on special china and cakes would be a good place to start." Honey's eyes began to water as tears began to fall.

"No more cake?"

"It's alright, Honey-kun," Mina assured, "I can bring in sweets for you to eat from home." Honey's eyes quickly cleared up and a huge grin was on his face. Yumi felt a heavy weight upon her chest. _I was looking forward to telling the club my idea, especially since everyone else thought that it was good_. Feeling the feeling of defeat, she took a deep breath and smiled.

"It'll be a challenge, Kyouya-kun," she said, "I wonder if you can do it." Kyouya looked over at Yumi and sighed.

"I guess we really don't have much of a choice."

"It really doesn't look like you do."

"So then if there's no special even coming up to raise money for the club," Hikaru began, "Are there any suggestions for what the theme of the dance will be?"

"That's too far ahead to even think about," Hikari replied, "If you should ask a theme question, it should be what our next cosplay should be."

"I've been wondering that too," Yumi stated, feeling the heavy weight lift in hoping that this was her chance to mention her idea to the club, "And I was thinking, that a good theme in this spring whether would be-"

"If we're watching our budget," Kyouya interrupted, "then performing certain cosplays would be out of the question."

"That's right, brother," Tamaki announced, "I suggest that we keep things simple and elegant until the night of our dance."

"Even though that night's so far away," Hikari pointed out as if questioning Tamaki's statement.

"It'll come up faster than you think," Haruhi said with a sigh, "I hope it'll not be like last year." Hikari began laugh as everyone began to reminisce. While the Host Club was laughing about the past, Yumi was smiling and listening, trying her best not to just get up and leave the room. _If there's one thing I'm good at it's being determined. Even though I'm the only girl that's never been at this school, I'm still here in this club and that's all that matters._ To keep herself busy and involved, Yumi pulled out her digital camera from her pocket and began to take candid shots of the club from her seat. Taking pictures calmed Yumi's nerves down because in order to create a perfect picture, she must focus entirely in the moment she's capturing.

"Yumi-chan," Hana said, pulling Yumi out of her camera mode, "What was your junior year like at your school?"

"I dunno. I've just started junior year." Suddenly, Yumi realized what she had said and bit her lips tightly together.

"But I thought that you were a year above Hikari?" Yumi looked over at Hikari, who looked as surprised as Hana did.

"Aren't you a year older than me?"

"Of course I am," Yumi answered with a laugh, keeping her eyes focused on Hikari.

"And aren't you in the year above me?"

"Of course I am," she said continuing her laughter. "Sorry, I was lost there for a second. It was alright, I guess, just a lot of work, but my school's different from yours, so there's no telling what you might encounter this year." Hikari stared at Yumi in confusion before sighing in relief.

"Good. Glad to hear. I would have been worried if you suddenly were in my year."

"Why would that be surprising?" Yumi asked calmly, "Not that I'd be able to."

"Well," Hikari began, "You were one of the smartest kids in elementary school and from what you've told us about your crazy random fans, if you fell back a year that would totally reseed."

"Well, I'm still one of the smartest kids in my year and the fan level has increased, so there's nothing for you to worry about, Hikari-chan." Hikari smiled at her and continued to talk about the past with the other host members. She noticed how Hikaru would cling onto Hikari as if he was going to lose her, which Yumi could understand, especially since he almost lost her forever to her evil adoptive family of the Niwazakis. _I'm glad that she has a man to protect her. Hikari never really was the type of girl who dreamed of knights in shining armor._

"So then it's settled," Tamaki finalized, "We'll keep our cosplays simple and focus more on the customers and our charm rather than fancy costumes and cuisine."

"Here here!" the twins said together. "Tono is full of confidence, but now we can see if he's really the king."

"WHAT WAS THAT?"

"Fake King!" They repeated, taunting Tamaki to turn red with anger.

"YOU STUPID TWINS!" He shouted as he began to chase them around the room.

"I guess some things never change," Hikari commented.

"You can say that again," Haruhi second. Yumi watched the show of her boyfriend running away from the dramatic Tamaki. But as she watched, she slowly began to think about seven years ago, the year of Hikari's "sudden disappearance". _That was a hard year. Mom and dad got their raise to travel a lot more that year as well and I was mad at them for that. Even after all I've done, I always tell them how proud I am of them now that I'm older, but-_

"Ready to go?" Yumi blinked for a moment and looked up. Kaoru was looking down at her with a worried look on his face.

"Are you alright?" He asked, "You seem a little…lost." Yumi smiled and did her best to suppress her thoughts.

"It's no big deal, really," she replied. The two left the club as she continued to babble her thoughts. "Can you believe that the crazy incident at Christmas time was all real rather than a dream? I'm so happy that Hikari's able to stay in Japan with Natasha. And then there's the fact that we're facing another long academic year and that it's weird how Tamaki-kun and Kyouya-kun are back, even though they graduated."

"And there's your graduation." Yumi felt a chill go down her spine.

"Yeah, of course" she said a little too fast.

"Isn't that amazing? It's sorta as if you're graduating with me, Hikaru, and Haruhi." Yumi nodded and sighed with a smile.

"Right, right. That'll be the best." Kaoru chuckled and looked over at her.

"I know you're probably upset about not having your spring fair," he said, "But I want you to know that it is a really good idea. Maybe when the club's up and running better, we'll have one." Yumi smile and nodded. _Even though that's not my biggest concern right now._ He held her hand and guided her for a bit. The two talked a lot about random things, laughing about past events, but Yumi (when she wasn't talking) would always think back about that moment of her parents and Hikari leaving her; how that changed her drastically in one instance.

"So you're one of the top students of your class?" Kaoru asked.

"Yep," she replied, trying to focus on Kaoru, "and proud of it. Academics were something that sorta came natural to me. That's why I love photography so much. It's a challenge for me and I've been working on improving that skill since I first held a camera."

"Well, if you're this smart and artistic with a camera, have you ever thought of transferring?" Yumi gave him a questioning look.

"Transferring? Transfer to where?" Kaoru shrugged.

"I dunno…Ouran Academy maybe?" Yumi stopped smiling and tucked a long black strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I couldn't do that. I'm smart, but not that smart." Kaoru stopped walking, pulling her back as she tried to move forward. "Besides, not counting Haruhi-chan, I'm just a 'commoner'. There really isn't anything special about me that would impress Ouran." Kaoru's golden eyes began to shimmer in the dimly lit sidewalk. His lips were curled into a genuine smile, as if ignoring all of her negative comments about herself. Yumi loved Kaoru's face, especially his eyes. The gold would shine and hypnotize her to stop talking. Gracefully, he pulled Yumi into his arms and leaned her against the side of a building, as if trapping her to make a point.

"You know, someone with a lot confidence shouldn't say such things about herself," he said, "The way you present yourself to the world is amazing! I've never seen someone so proud and confident in her actions. You should be proud of yourself for that." Yumi, who was still staring at him, tried to laugh while gently pushing him off as a joke, but somehow, her desire to be mesmerized was stronger. Kaoru's hand stroked a finger down her cheek, making her skin crawl with chills. "I'm not asking you to transfer now or even for you to transfer at all. I just want you to know that I wish to graduate from the same high school with you and that if you want to too, then it's possible."

"You really want me to graduate with you from Ouran?" Yumi asked as she tried to remember how to breathe. Kaoru's smile grew a little wider.

"Of course." He slowly lowered his head to her neck, pressing his warm lips against her skin. Yumi tightly shut her eyes as his lips traced up her neck and found her lips. Kaoru's kiss was always passionate, but this one was more passionate than the other times they kissed. Hearing him breathing in her scent made her feel a little dizzy. _Maybe this is too much for me after just starting off the new school year,_ she thought lazily to herself. Once Kaoru pulled himself away from her, he placed his forehead onto hers.

"You're the most interesting girl I've ever met." Yumi felt her body temperature rising as she felt her lips forming a smile.

"You're a very interesting guy too." Suddenly, Yumi felt better again and she led him back to her little house.

"It's been a while since I've been here," Kaoru mentioned, "Is everything the same?"

"Like you have to ask. Mom and dad'll be gone for another while, so the house looks the same."

"Would you like me to spend the night?" Kaoru asked politely with a tint of hope. Yumi laughed.

"Maybe later, but not tonight." She opened the small, white gate as she continued, "Wouldn't you rather spend the night with Hikaru?" Kaoru paused for a moment and scratched the back of his neck.

"He's with Hikari tonight, so I don't wanna get in the way."

"You're not gonna get in the way. Hikaru's probably thinking that you're coming home, right? So even though Natasha's not taking Hikari home, she'll be there at some point since she and Kyouya are having dinner and late night fun." Kaoru didn't say anything as she continued.

"And he's your twin brother, who has recently been occupied by Hikari. I totally understand."

"It's not that," Kaoru replied, "I'm just wondering how to react." Yumi took of her shoes and stepped into her house, hanging her school bag on the banister by the door.

"Why?" Kaoru took off his shoes and rested his bag under Yumi's as he followed her into an office behind the staircase.

"Well, I feel that you might be pushing me away." Yumi turned sharply around to face Kaoru, giving him a sly smile.

"I'm not pushing you away," she said, her sly smile changing into a worried look, "I just don't want you to feel that you have to stay with me when you'd rather wanna be with Hikaru, who (may I remind you) is busy being with another person that isn't you." Kaoru gave Yumi a shocking look and sighed in relief.

"I know, but since he's with Hikari, that gives me an opportunity to see you without Hikaru in the way." Yumi walked up to Kaoru and gave him a comforting kiss.

"Don't worry, Kaoru." With a nod from her boyfriend, Yumi turned around and noticed a blinking number on her voice mail.

"Hey, a voice mail from mom and dad," she announced, "Wonder if they're asking about my second day." She pressed the play buttoned and listened. At first there was nothing but silence, as if the call was accidental and the caller debates in leaving a message or not.

"That's weird. Guess it's a wrong number." Yumi was about to press the erase button when a mysterious, high-pitched robotic voice spoke.

"_You truly think highly of yourself, don't you? Walking into a school that you don't attend and participate in their club activities. What right do you have to be with them? You're nothing but a filthy commoner. Leave the club or I will come and get you_."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A day of Scattered Events.

"That didn't sound like your parents," Kaoru said after a minute of silence. Yumi swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. "Do you get calls like this often?" Yumi exhaled sharply and shook her head, doing her best to maintain herself in front of Kaoru. "It sounds as if someone's watching you." Yumi shuttered at the thought of being watched.

"This has never happened to me before," she finally said, "So this has got to be a person that has seen me recently." Kaoru gently grabbed her arms and turned her away from the voice message.

"The police should be notified asap. I can get someone from my family to-"

"That won't be necessary, Kaoru, really. I can stop by the police station tomorrow on my way to school and tell them about the message." She looked at his concerned face and smiled. "I'm gonna be alright. I'm good at taking care of myself."

"That's not gonna make me stop worrying." Yumi gently punched Kaoru in the arm and gave him a wink.

"You've gotta loosen up, Kaoru. I've been living here alone for seven years now and I'm not gonna stop being strong because of a creepy message. This is a mystery! An opportunity for me to prove how well I can protect myself on my own." Kaoru stared at her for a moment and sighed.

"Guess there's no way in changing your mind once you decided on something." He gave her his genuine smile and pointed at himself. "However, I'll accept your decision under the condition that I spend the night." Yumi felt her cheeks growing warmer as she shook her head.

"I really don't want to inconvenience you."

"Nonsense. I'll just sleep in the guest room upstairs and accompany you to your school. I can then have one of my drivers pick you up and take you to Ouran afterwards. That way, I'll know you'll be safe." Yumi crossed her arms and shook her head.

"How about this: You spend the night and can walk with me to the police station and then school. But I walk myself to Ouran."

"But might be the walk that this person's watching on."

"Which is more of a reason I go alone. If they see you with me, then they could threaten you along with your family and their business. I can keep a low searching profile and report to you when I arrive." She extended her hand towards Kaoru, who looked from it, to her, and back to the hand again.

"I'm not gonna be threatened like Hikari was," she said, hoping that was what Kaoru was thinking, "I don't live with any prestigious family nor attend a fancy school. No one outside of Ouran knows we're dating, so I'm worthless to them. Trust me…please?" Kaoru finally smiled and shook his head.

"You're a hard one," he replied and he grabbed her hand, "but it's a deal." Yumi walked around Kaoru and searched through her parent's desk. After opening the second draw, she pulled out a pad of lined paper and a yellow pen and scribbled down what she heard from the voice mail.

"If it makes you feel any better, I can carry this pad with me around to write down messages and clues to this mysterious person. That way, if you _want_ to use your people to hunt this person down then at least I can help by narrowing down the suspects."

"It sounds as if you're excited by this mysterious call," Kaoru commented. Yumi shook her head.

"More like I'm looking at the situation completely differently. It's something I developed over the years. Something scary happens, I take a deep breath and figure it out." Kaoru shrugged his shoulders.

"You're a strange one." With that, he left the room. Yumi's confident looks slowly disappeared as she examined what she wrote. _It's true that I'm terrified_, she admitted, _I just don't want to bring other people into my problems. Being strong and determined is something I'm good at._ Yumi left the office and ran up to her room. As she passed the guest room, she peered in through the cracked door and found Kaoru undressing. The air left her lungs as her eyes scanned his long back. A zipping sound caught her attention as she watched Kaoru taking off his black school pants. He wore orange boxers that reminded her of his host rose.

_I know I've been dating Kaoru for some times now, but I've never noticed how hot he really is_. Yumi continued watching him as he bent down and dug out his cell phone. After pressing a few buttons, he brought the phone up to his ear and waited.

"Hey, it's me…I'm actually gonna spend the night at Yumi's…I know, I know, I was gonna come over tomorrow while you were at Hikari's…Something came up and…" There was a long pause as Yumi watched Kaoru shifting uncomfortably in his seat. A pained look on his face shook her heart a bit.

"I know you miss me. I miss you too, but we've got other people to care for now, to look after, to protect…Look, I know that you still have problems with Yumi being around, but you're going to have to accept that she's in my life…Hikaru, listen to me…" Yumi slowly stepped away from the door and headed towards her room down the hall. _Didn't mean to cause so much trouble_…

The next day, Yumi went to the police station with Kaoru and informed the cops about the message. They suggested that she should be with a friend while traveling around so as not to be alone. Although she nodded in agreement, she still believed that she'd be better on her own.

School was the usual thing for her as her Kotoru-sensei continued to pick on her. However, he was annoyed that her mind was on the message rather than him. As he scolded her, she muted his voice and thought, _This is like a mystery. Yeah…the mysterious voice that's stalking me. OO! That's intriguing. Wonder who it could be. A fan? A jealous fiend? This could be interesting_.

Feeling better about the creepy call, Yumi gathered her things and gifts and headed towards Ouran. She hummed a random tune as she carefully scanned the area for suspicious people. _Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary…maybe they're hiding._ Before entering through the gates, Yumi dropped one of her presents on the ground. Slowly, she bent down to pick it up, looking around her for someone watching. Since the cost was clear, she entered through the gate and sighed. _Well that was disappointing_, she thought to herself. With a sigh, she headed towards the club.

Yumi entered the room with a struggle as the gifts fell on the floor again. Immediately, Honey came to her aid and helped pick up the chocolates.

"Hey, Mimi-chan," he began, "Why don't we give these chocolates to the guests?" Yumi thought for a moment before nodding.

"They won't go to waste that way." Honey shouted with joy as Ymi stared at him. Little pink flowers bubbled around him, or at least to her it looked like it did.

"Funny how this didn't happen last year," Kyouya said behind Yumi adjusting his glasses.

"It's more that I just never brought them to the club last year because I didn't want you all thinking that I was some phony idol."

"Why would we think that?" Yumi finished gathering a small portion of the chocolates and stood up.

"Because when an outgoing girl like me comes in with a lot of chocolates, it's usually because she's done something grade and special. The students then feel that they would be so lucky to have her spirit and praise her for it…does that make sense?" Kyouya didn't bother to nod or shrug. Instead he took a deep breath as if slightly understanding where she was coming from.

"I'm guessing you host boys are used to these kinds of gifts," she replied as she headed towards the kitchen. Honey peeked through the door waiting impatiently, waving his arm to encourage Yumi to hurry up. When she entered, Mina and Hana-chan were working in the kitchen, preparing sweets and tea for the guests who were about to arrive.

"Mimi-chan brought back some chocolates from school!" Honey shouted. Mina looked up from her mixing bowl and smiled.

"That's great. Can you manage all that by yourself?"

"Actually I was wondering if I could serve this to the guests before they get here. Don't want to waste them."

"That's would be great!" Hana-chan said out of breath. Her little yellow dress was covered in dough and her brown hair in flower.

"Hana-chan's been trying to help me out with the cooking, so she's a little tired out." Mina tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear. It was up in a high pony-tail to keep it from falling into her baking.

"I'll take Hana-chan's place if you want. I'm not that good at baking, but then again I've never really tried."

"Thank you so much, Yumi-san." Yumi dropped off the chocolates and went into the back room to find an apron. While she searched, she heard voices.

"HIKARU! I told you to not come in the changing room while I'm changing!" Yumi heard chuckling and shuffling in the background.

"Can't a guy sneak up on his girlfriend once in a while?"

"You do it every time! Doesn't it get old?"

"Nope. And ever since Christmas, I swore that I'd look out for you. It's those moments when I'm not there that something might happen."

"But I need those moments so that I can have privacy. And sometimes that's something I want, oddly enough. Besides, the only reason you're with me a lot is because Kaoru's with Yumi, so you don't even want to be with me." There was a long pause before Yumi heard a sigh coming from Hikaru.

"He was suppose to come home last night and didn't," Hikaru finally admitted, "I know he cares for her, but does he have to be with her ALL the time?"

"Hikaru, you're just jealous of Yumi. Again, how do you think Kaoru felt when you suddenly met me?" Another pause followed as Yumi began to quietly and quickly search for the apron.

"I know…It's just…she doesn't really belong here. She doesn't go to school here or ever will." Finally feeling the familiar texture under her fingers, Yumi pulled the apron and ran back into the kitchen. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, trying to calm down the guilt she was feeling for keeping Kaoru over last night.

"Yumi-san, are you alright?" Yumi opened her eyes and turned to Mina, who was wipping her hands on her apron.

"Yeah," Yumi answered, trying to cover up her guilt, "just had trouble trying to find the apron, that's all." Mina gave her a kind smile.

"I'm glad to hear it. Shall we continue on baking?" Yumi nodded and tied the apron around her waist. She had a little trouble with the baking process. It wasn't because she was a bad baker, but rather than she was distracted by Hikaru and the mysterious voicemail that continued to haunt her. Voices from the costumers seeped into the room as Yumi and Mina worked together. Haruhi and Hikari would walk in every now and then, taking in and out tray of food and tea.

"This is a nice system that we created," Mina commented as she passed Hikari her tray.

"I agree," Hikari replied, "We're not wasting money on pre-made goods. That's a first."

"And these are better than the ones we order," Haruhi added as Yumi passed her the tray. "I normally don't like sweets, but these are good."

"Well it's thanks to my assistant that I was able to make good food," Mina said with a smile.

"It really wasn't a big deal."

"It was, Yumi. You helped out a lot." Yumi smiled and rubbed the back of her head. The two host girls went back into the room while Yumi and Mina cleaned up the kitchen.

"Yumi-san?" Yumi looked up from her cleaning towards Mina. Her light brown eyes looked concerned, which caused Yumi to worry. "I know it's none of my business, but I was wondering if everything's alright with you."

"Of course they are. Why?"

"You don't seem like your energetic self today. Did something happen?"

"Nope. Nothing happened." Mina didn't respond. Instead she continued to look at Yumi with so much concern that it eventually caused Yumi to crack. "Well…I did get this call…from someone…I dunno who, but I know they're creepy…"

"Has this happened to you before?" Yumi shook her head.

"No, not really. I get fan calls and fan threats, but nothing like this."

"Do you have any idea who it could be?" Before Yumi could answer, she heard the club shout "WHAT?" In the main room. The two girls ran out of the kitchen and saw Hikari with fear in her eyes.

"I swear, I saw her. Outside the school gates looking at the school." Yumi saw Hikari beginning to tremble. Hikaru quickly came to her aid as her eyes stared beyond the distance.

"What's going on?" Mina asked.

"It's her," Hikaru said through his teeth, "Kezuki Kamiko." Yumi felt her bones freeze as she recalled Kamiko, the greatest mimicker that she'd ever known. Because of her and her brother, Satoshi, Hikari was damaged greatly and almost lost everything, including Hikaru. Yumi felt her stomach tie in a knot with the guilt she still felt from not believing Hikari when she had the chance.

"What is she doing on campus?" Kaoru asked, "I thought that she and Satoshi were expelled."

"Expelled, yes, but there were no restriction on him from the school," Kyouya replied, reading from his black notebook.

"So the Kezuki's are back," Haruhi concluded, "Is there anything we can do to prevent them from causing trouble again?"

"I'm not sure, but I can definitely look into it."

"Thanks Kyouya-senpai." Haruhi headed towards Hikari and smiled. "Don't worry. The Host Club's gonna protect you."

"That's right!" Tamaki shouted, "Nothing will take away my daughter again!" Hikari nodded and rested her head on Hikaru's shoulder.

Yumi tried to move her legs to also comfort Hikari, but she couldn't. Her sense of guilt invaded so much that she could barely move.

"Don't worry, she'll be alright," Kaoru whispered as he approached Yumi. She nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, Hikari's a strong one and we should do our best to protect her."

"Right you are, Yumi-chan!" Tamaki shouted in agreement, "We must create protection plan number eight! And-"

"Or we can just have Natasha and Hikari stay in a host's house for a while. They lack the security and protection needed to prevent another accident from occurring." Tamaki looked at Kyouya with tears streaming down his face.

"But Brother!"

"Yeah, Kyouya-senpai. Is it really necessary for me and Natasha to stay with a host?" Kyouya adjusted his glasses and gave Hikari his cool smile.

"Of course it is. Unless you want disaster to strike, you must stay with Hikaru and Natasha will stay with me."

"Ummmhmmm." Everyone turned to face Yumi. "I get it, Kyouya-kun. You want to 'protect' her from the 'harm' that Satoshi and his twin sis might bring." Kyouya didn't react, but rather kept his cool smile on.

"Of course. And because of that statement, I can change our budget schedule back."

"Back? Back to what?" Yumi asked.

"Kaoru and Mina approached me about your spring fair idea. Judging by the way they described it, your idea is exactly what the club needs to get out of our financial trouble."

"Karou. And Mina?" Yumi turned to face the two. "But I thought that everyone wanted to have a simple plan before the big dance party."

"As Kyouya-senpai's co-planner, Mina-chan and I decided that taking the simple route would not solve anything. By the time of the dance party, the club would still be in its little financial trouble." Yumi felt a smile grow on her lips and she hugged Kaoru.

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" She then hugged Mina tightly and her guilt disappeared.

"Besides that, though, we can create an atmosphere to protect Hikari-chan," Hana-chan pointed out, "If there's a crowd and a lot of people, Satoshi and Kamiko won't be able to find who they're looking for."

"Well put, Hana-chan!" Tamaki shouted, "And so, with our plan set, we must act quickly." He ran over to Hikari, taking her hand into his. "I promise you, my daughter, we will not allow you to be taken away again by those two or anyone else."

"That's right, Tamaki-kun. We did it once before and we'll do it again. Have no fear Hikari." Hikari looked up at Yumi and nodded with a small smile.

"Thanks, Yumi-chan." Yumi smiled big and gave her a thumbs-up.

"So then," Mina replied, "Tomorrow, while the club is open, Yumi-san and I will discuss the spring fair ideas. Everyone please be prepared." Yumi and everyone else agreed and began to gather up their things. However, she couldn't help over hearing Hikaru's and Kaoru's conversation.

"So since Hikari's gonna be over a lot, I'm going to stay at Yumi's. I hope that's ok with you." Hikaru pouted and crossed his arms.

"Of course not. You weren't home last night either, so I was hoping that you would be tonight." Kaoru chuckled and gave Hikaru a questioning look.

"Would you really want me to be there when you're busy hitting on Hikari?" Hikaru's face turned red as he looked over at his girlfriend. Yumi recognized that stare. It was the stare that Kaoru gives Hikaru when he was acting mature. His golden hazel eyes shimmered as he continued to watch Hikari in silence.

"Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to make the one you love happy," Kaoru whispered. Hikaru didn't hear, but Yumi did. She froze in place as she looked over at Kaoru. His eyes staring at his bag, a sad smile spread across his lips. Yumi could tell that he was referring to himself.

"Yumi-san?" Yumi shook her head and turned to Mina. "I'm sorry to bother you again, but would you like to continue our conversation on our way home?"

"It's okay, Mina-chan. I'm really fine now. Besides, we should focus on Hikari. Enough stuff has happened to her already and she must be protected." Mina's face showed Yumi that she didn't believe her. But she smiled and said,

"If you're feeling better about it then there's nothing to worry about. But if you ever wanna talk I'm always ready to listen."

"Thanks, Mina-chan." Mina nodded and went towards Hana-chan.

"Shall we head on out?" Kaoru said from behind.

"Sure. Are you spending the night again?" Kaoru nodded as he scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, sorry about that. If Hikari's over, then Hikaru will be too busy with her to be with me."

"Really? Because it seems to me that Hikaru wants to be with you more." Kaoru sighed and shook his head. "Listen, why don't you go on home with Hikaru and Hikari. Ask the two if you can steal your brother for tonight. Believe me, Hikari won't refuse. In fact, you'd probably do her a favor."

"But are you gonna be alright?"

"Of course I will be!" Yumi shouted with confidence. "I informed the police, right? So it's all good. Now go. You don't wanna be left behind, right?" Kaoru's smile changed to an exciting one. He quickly kissed her left cheek and sprinted towards his brother. She watched as Hikaru grinned with happiness and Hikari trying to tip-toe away. However she was caught as Hikaru and Kaoru synced themselves and teased her, which continued until Yumi couldn't see them anymore.

The walk back from Ouran was a quiet one. _I can't believe that the stupid Kezuki twins have returned. Haven't they learned their lesson yet?_ She stopped under a street light, staring at the road ahead of her. _Maybe I should also take martial arts lessons from Mori-kun and Honey-kun too. That way I can help protect her too. After all, she is my childhood friend._ Yumi felt her spirits rise as she created her plan. Acting on instinct, she took out her digital camera and began to take pictures of the night.

_With these photos, I might be able to spot the person who's watching me. Maybe they're working for the Kezuki twins to try and take us out one by one. That would be a bad one._ Her energetic personality began to rise through her body as she began to feel like her normal self again. When she got home, she threw her bag by the staircase, went to the fridge, pulled out a can of soda, and headed towards her parent's office. As she settled herself by the computer, she noticed the voicemail light blinking.

"Another message." With a deep breath, Yumi pressed play. There was a long pause before the familiar, high-pitched robotic voice filled the room.

"_I thought I told you to stay away from them. Now you've really got yourself into trouble. Hope you enjoyed your last day being a host's lady, because starting tomorrow, you're never gonna be able to step foot into the Host Club again_."

Quickly, Yumi deleted the message, her heart pounding in fear against her chest. Minutes went by as she tried to think of where the person was hiding. _I looked around and saw no one. Even through my photos I saw no one._ She took a deep breath and pulled out her phone. After pressing a number of buttons, a familiar voice answered on the other end.

"Honey-kun? It's Yumi. I was wondering if you and Mori-kun could teach me some martial arts…"


End file.
